Date indexing



NOV. 1967 I J. EGGER ETAL 3, 0, I

DATE INDEXING Filed July 12, 1966 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 2

} INVENTOR. TosE F EGGER amz men-"165R Nov. 7, 1967 J. EGGER ETAL3,350,873

DATE INDEXING Filed July,l2, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 105 E F E Gc g QHEiNZ ("'IEITINGER BY DW Hm; BMW

Nov. 7, 1967 J, EGGER ETAL 3,350,873

DATE INDEXING Filed July 12, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. TOSEF EGGERmamz M TIH Y B 7W, HM, WW

Nov. 7, 1967 J. EGGER ETAL 3,350,873

DATE INDEXING Filed July 12, 1966' 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 F I I JIOSEF HEINZMfIT/IVGER United States Patent-1 O 3,350,873 DATE INDEXING Josef Eggerand Heinz Meitinger, Pforzheim, Germany, assignors to The United StatesTime Corporation, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut FiledJuly 12, 1966, Ser. No. 565,359 '"Claims priority,'application Gelrmany,Aug. 25, 1964,

14 Claims. (01. 58-4) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A watch is providedwith a mechanism to display the date through a window in its dial. Themorning or afternoon, i.e., A.M. or P.M., is indicated by a dot which ismoved to be either above or below the date The mechanism includes a camrotated by the gear train of the watch, a spring, an indexing leverbiased by the cam against the spring, and a calendar ring. The leveracts by unequal steps against the calendar ring. The calendar ring hasinternal gear teeth and printed dates on its face.

' This application is a continuation-in-part application based on theapplicants United States patent application Ser. No. 477,706, filed Aug.6, 1965 now abandoned.

Some calendar watches have adatering which carries. the dates in figureson its top surface. One figure becomes visible each day. The date ringmust be turned forward 24 hours for one figure to appear. In somewatches this turning forward occurs slowly. This has the disadvantagethat during certain times the entire figures are not visible. Otherwatches provide a driving device which shifts the date ring step by stepby jerks. These calendar watches have the disadvantage that the shiftingfor one pitch occurs after a delay of 24 hours. If counting units ofhalf-day (twelve hours) are desired, then additional mechanism must beprovided in addition to the regular watch movement. Such additionalmechanisms are costly and require a relatively large space.

It is the objective of the present invention to provide a simplemechanism which enables one to immediately distinguish A.M. from RM. Itcannot happen that the wearer sets the watch incorrectly so that dateindexing occurs at noon instead of at midnight. There is a clearindication about the respective halves of the day. The setting of thewatch in respect to the date indication is therefore made withcertainty.

According to the present invention, the calendar mechanism has a dialring which rotates step by step for one pitch. The dial ring isrotatable at first for a partial step corresponding to the first part ofthis pitch and thereafter for the remaining part of the pitch. Theindexing at each partial step occurs each time after the same interval,preferably twelve hours. The calendar mechanism is moved by the regulardrive for two partial steps without the need for an additional reductiongear.

.The half of the day is shown by a dot which is visible at the upperpart or at the lower part of the figure. The visible lower dot indicatesA.M. and the upper dot P.M. By looking at the figure it is immediatelyknown that it is A.M. or P.M. One dot is provided between each figure;when one figure is shown the dot designates the second half of the dayand at the following figure the dot designates the first half of theday.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described belowwhich, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, describesfurther advantages and characteristics of the invention. In thedrawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view in the direction towards the dial, the dialbeing partially broken out and the hour wheel being shown by a dash-dotline;

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 andslightly enlarged;

FIGS. 3 to 7 are views corresponding with FIG. 1, which explain the modeof operation of the calendar mechanism, wherein the various parts areshown in consecutive positions; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are a top plan view of another embodiment of the presentinvention, the view being taken in the direction toward the dial.

7 In the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, 'the frame plate 10 isshown schematically. A central sweep-second staif 11, having a fourthwheel pinion 12, is journaled with itsupper pivot in the bridge 1 (FIG.2). The center tube 14, which carries a center wheel 15, is positionedupon the sweep-second stafi? 11. The center tube 14 is rotativelyjournaled in the bushing 16 which is stationarily fixed in the frameplate 10. The hour wheel tube 17 is journaled on the outside of thebushing 16. Tube 17 is rigidly connected with thehour wheel'18. i i iThe dial 20 covers the watch movement towards the exterior and the handsof the watch cooperate with the dial in the conventional manner. Thedial 20 has a window 22, see FIG. 1.

Underneath the outer edge of the dial a date ring 25 is journaled in agroove in the frame plate 10.'The date ring 25 carries on its face anumber of figures from 1-31, which are at times visible through thewindow 22. In FIG. 1 the figure 31 is visible in the window 22. A dot 26is arranged between each of the figures. Dot 26 is visible in'FIG. 1below the figure 31. i

The hour wheel 18 has a jump groove 28. A follower pin 29 fixed'in' acam 30 engages in the jump groove 28. Cam 30is arranged belowthe hourwheel 18 and is journaled on a ring shoulder 31 of the frame plate. Cam30 is secured against axial movements by a corresponding part of theframe plate 10 and the hour wheel 18.

An indexing lever 35 cooperates with cam 30. Lever 35 has a guidingclearance'openi'ng 36 in which a front guiding pin 37 is engaged. Pin 37is fixed in the frame plate 10. The indexing lever 35 has a rear guidingclear-' ance opening 40 in which a guiding pin 41 is engaged. Pin 41isalso fixed in the frame plate 10. i

The indexing lever 35 has a front arm portion 45 with a first indexinglever tooth 46, a second indexing lever too'th 47, and a banking nose48. Banking nose'48 cooperates with a banking pin 49 fixed in the frameplate 10. The indexing lever 35 has a scanning arm portion 50, a reararm portion 52, and an upturned locking bar 53.

One end of an indexing spring rests against locking bar 53. The otherend of spring 55 rests against a spring banking pin 56. Pin 56' isattached to safety catch 58 which swivels on the guiding pin 41. Arm 58has a catch ar'm portion 59 and a safety arm portion 60. g

The safety catch and the indexing lever cooperate with the teeth 24 ofthe date ring. This cooperation will be described in detail with the aidof FIGS. 3 to 7, wherein the aforementioned components are designatedwith the FIG. 3 is the same as in FIG. 1. It approaches that positionalmost at noon (12 oclock). The hour wheel brings the hour hand in itsposition shortly before the figure 12 of the dial. In the position shownin FIG. 3 the date ring 25 is stopped by the catch arm 59 of safetycatch 58. The date ringis not rotational clockwise until the safetycatch58 is turned forward in clockwise direction against the 3 action of theindexing spring 55. The indexing lever 35 in FIG. 3 is in itspre-stressed condition and is ready to be pushed by spring 55 in adirection towards the right and downwards.

Referring to FIG. 3, the scanning arm 50 rests with its indexing nose 65on an apex 67 of the cam 30. Pin 29 is at the left or counter-clockwiseend of jump groove 28. After a little forward clockwise movement of thecam 30 the nose 65 slides off from the cam 30. In respect to thisgeneral position the cam 30 comes to a dead point. The cam 30 nowperforms under the influence of the scanning arm 50. The indexing lever35 is given a forward motion under the influence of the indexing springin a clockwise direction until the banking pin 49 stops the banking nose48 of the indexing lever 35. This position of the cam 30 at that time isshown in FIG. 4. The cam has quickly been rotated the length of its jumpgroove 28.

The indexing lever 35 under the influence of the indexing spring 55moves towards the right and also a little bit downwards, as shown inFIG. 4. This movement of the indexing lever is controlled by clearances36 and 40 cooperating with the guiding pins 37 and 41, respectively.

The second indexing lever tooth 47 takes along the tooth 68 of the datering until the front indexing lever arm 45 banks against the banking pin49 and its movement is stopped. This forward movement of the date ringrepresents only a first partial step of the total movement during a24-hour period. The same date remains visible in the window 22. However,the dot indicating the antemeridian disappears under the dial. The dot70 between the figure 31 and the following figure 1 appears in the topof the window and serves as an indication that it is the post-meridian(afternoon) of the thirty-first day.

FIG. 4 shows also that the indexing spring 55 is now in a partiallyrelieved condition. The catch arm 59 of the safety catch 58 was lifted alittle bit by the forward movement of the date ring. The teeth of safetycatch 58 in FIGS. 3-7 is an alternative to the teeth of the safety catch58 of FIG. 1. After the achieved partial step the catch arm 59 engagesin the tooth space 71 so that its right catch flank 73 rests against thetooth 74 and its left catch flank 75 against the tooth 76. The date ringis secured against a rotational movement in both directions. The safetycatch is locked in this position by the fact that the safety arm 60 withits front end 61 touches the locking bar 53. The locking bar 53 pressesunder the influence of the indexing spring 55 against the front end 61and locks the safety catch in the position shown in FIG. 4.

After this first partial step the safety catch 58 remains for thepresent in the position shown in FIG. 4. The next partial step is longerthan the first partial step in order to change a figure. The cam rotatesforward together with the hour wheel and acts with its curved section 77on the scanning arm so that the indexing lever is again lifted. Shortlybefore midnight it occupies the position shown in FIG. 5. Simultaneouslythe indexing spring 55 will again be pre-stressed. The cam 30, asdescribed in connection with FIG. 3, arrives with its apex 67 at theindexing nose 65 of the scanning arm of the indexing lever. Under theinfluence of the indexing spring 55 occurs again a jerky shiftingmovement of lever 35 which is limited by the banking pin 49. Theindexing lever is moved towards the right and with its front downwards.However, since the date ring 25 and its teeth 24 have already been movedforward for half a step, the front arm of the indexing lever with itsindexing lever teeth 46 and 47 moves towards the next tooth 69. Tooth 69is caught in the space between the two indexing lever teeth 46 and 47.The downward movement in clockwise direction, shown in FIG. 6, takes thedate ring along for another partial step until the front arm of theindexing lever hits the banking pin 49. This second partial step rotatesthe date ring 25 until the dot 70 comes to rest at the upper part of thelower edge of the window 22, as shown in FIG. 6. The next figure, inthis case FIGURE 1, is seen entirely. However, the dot 72 arranged onthe top of FIG- URE 1 remains invisible. By this it will thus beindicated that it is the ante-meridian of the first day. The initialposition after a complete stepping and at a forward movement of the camresults again in the position shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 shows a special event which occurs at the backward rotation ofthe cam, e.g. opposite in direction from FIG. 6, which may occur duringsetting of the watch. The scanning arm rests against a curved section 78of cam 30 and this curved section shows a slow rise. At this backwardrotation the indexing teeth of the indexing lever 35 remain disengagedfrom the teeth 24 of the date ring. An indexing of the date ring isprevented during backward rotation of the cam.

On cam 30 a curved section 82 is joined to curved section 78 whichbegins at the end of the curved section 78 and reaches as far as to thedead point snap position. This curved section 82 has a relatively strongascent by which the snapping is caused. This curved section 82 isadvantageously used for a fast forward indexing of the date ring whenthe watch is set as to date. In the vicinity of an end position at theend of a time period, thus e.g.

12 oclock, the cam and the hour hand will be turned backward for a smallamount. The date ring will be moved step by step forward until thewanted date appears in the window.

It has been shown, according to the invention, an indexing lever whichat each period of time, eg 12 hours, is once operable. The indexinglever acts directly with its indexing teeth on the date ring.

The mechanism shown has a date ring having one tooth per partial step,the same number of teeth as the regular date ring. The indexing teethact at two partial steps on the same tooth of the date ring and rotateit.

The spring acts on the indexing lever and on the cam and cooperates witha ratchet which locks the date ring. The lock ratchet has two positionscorresponding to the partial steps. One partial step is longer than theother. The ratchet has two locking means which are unequally spaced. Inone alternative, the indexing lever would operrate with a frictionalcontact on the date ring. In this alternative the entire function of thespacing is controlled by the lock ratchet having two unequally spacedlocking means.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9'.The driving mechanism is the same as in the prior embodiment of FIGS.1-7. The cam 30, pin 29, jump groove 28, indexing spring 55, indexinglever 35, locking pin 49 and safety catch 58 are the same. The onlydifferences from the prior embodiment of FIGS. l-7 are: (l) the datering 25 has twice as many teeth, i.e., 62 teeth; (2) the indexing lever35 has only one indexing tooth and (3) the safety catch 58 has only onetooth holding means, its groove 101. In the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9,one tooth 103 on date ring 25 is closer to the second tooth 102 of itspair than it is to a tooth 104 of the next pair. The 31 pair of teethare equally spaced around the inside circumference of the date ring. Thelever 35 acts upon one tooth of the date ring after another in sequence,i.e., acting on tooth 102, then tooth 103, then tooth 104, etc. Thesafety catch 58 holds the date ring in the position it is rotated to bythe indexing lever 35. The single tooth 100 on the indexing levercarries the date ring alternatively long and short distances,corresponding to the spacings between the teeth on the date ring. Theshort distance shifts the ring to move the dot 70 out from the windowand to expose the next dot,.

i.e., A.M. to P.M. The longer distance shifted changes the date. FIG. 8shows the position of the lever 35 prior to switching at midnight, i.e.,a date change. FIG. 9 shows the position of lever 35 prior to switchingat noon, i.e., A.M. to P.M. change.

The present invention provides a cam which is driven by the hour wheeland which makes one complete revolution in twelve hours. The cam reachesa determined dead center position and under the action of a springperforms a jump relative to the hour wheel in the direction of themotion. This provides a jerky motion. The motion is limited by a pin ofthe cam plate in a groove of the hour wheel, or a pin in the hour wheelengaging in a groove in the cam plate.

The snap-like motion of the cam enables the indexing lever to perform asnap-like motion. The levers motion occurs first towards the date ring.Then the front end of the indexing lever moves along the date ring inthe direction of its rotation. The levers motion is limited by a bankingpin.

As an alternative, the forward movement for partial steps can be reachedwhen the shifting ahead occurs not jerkily but creepingly within arelatively short time, e.g.

I one hour. In this alternative the cam moves positively with the hourwheel and is firmly attached to it.

The cam is arranged so that a relatively short rotation backwards andforwards, e.g. 3 hours, is sufficient to obtain a shifting ahead of thedate ring. A relatively short and quickly performed forward and backwardmovement of the hour hand is suflicient to make a relatively large datecorrection in a short time.

The indexing lever remains in touch with the date ring and slides alongon it during forward rotation of the cam. During the backward movementof the hands, the indexing lever is separated from the date ring anddoes not act on it so that a forward movement of the date ring does notoccur.

Other modifications and alternatives may be made within the scope of thepresent invention as defined in the subjoined claims.

We claim:

1. In a watch having a frame plate, a calendar mechanism comprising: arotatable flat date ring journaled in the frame plate and havingconsecutive figures 1-31 printed on its top face, a plurality of teethon its circumference, and at least one printed mark to indicate AM. orP.M. between each of the said figures; a rotatable cam adapted to bedriven by the wheels of the watch; a lever journaled on the frame plateand having two teeth to act upon each tooth of the date ring; a springpushing the lever against the cam and compressed by rotation of the camagainst the lever; wherein the spring acts upon a locking lever, thelocking lever is journaled on the frame plate, and the locking lever hasa first tooth holding portion, a second tooth holding portion and athird tooth holding portion, the distance between the first and secondportions being greater than the distance between the second and third,whereby alternate advances of the date ring for the same time period arerelatively long and short distances.

2. A horological instrument including a train of gear wheels, a datering having calendar information on its face and a plurality of teeth onits circumference; a cam operated by one of said wheels, a spring, alever arm biased by the spring against the cam for at least a portion ofthe cam's rotation and having on one of its ends a tooth which actsagainst the teeth of the date ring to rotate the ring, and a lockinglever to lock the date ring when the lever is not advancing the datering; said locking lever having three spaced tooth holding means, thefirst and second holding means being space-d further apart than the saidsecond and third holding means.

3. A horological instrument as in Claim 2, wherein the locking lever isbiased by the spring.

4. A horological instrument as in claim 2, wherein the teeth of the datering are equally spaced around its inner circumference.

5. A horological instrument as in claim 2 and having a frame plate,wherein the lever is journaled on the frame plate by two pins fixed inthe frame plate which protrude into bearing openings in the lever.

6. A horological instrument as in claim 2, wherein one of the wheels isan hour wheel, a pin is fixed in said hour wheel, the pin protrudes intoa groove of the cam, and said hour wheel pin drives the cam.

7. A horological instrument as in claim 2, wherein one of the wheels isan hour wheel, a pin is fixed on said cam, said pin protrudes into agroove in said hour wheel, and said hour wheel drives said cam.

8. A horological instrument as in claim 2, wherein the cam is curved sothat during its counter-clockwise rotation the lever is lifted away fromthe date ring.

9. In a horological instrument having a frame plate and rotating wheels,a calendar mechanism comprising: a rotatable flat date ring journaled inthe frame plate and having consecutive figures 1-31 printed on its topface, a plurality of teeth on its circumference, and at least oneprinted mark to indicate AM. or P.M. between each of the said figures; arotatable cam adapted to be driven by one of the said wheels, a leverjournaled on the frame plate and having at least first and secondteethto act upon each tooth of the date ring; a spring pushing the leveragainst the cam and compressed by rotation of the cam against the lever;the spacing of the teeth on the lever and the movement of the levercooperatively arranged so that the first tooth of the lever acts upon atooth of the date ring for one rotation of the cam and the second toothof the lever acts upon the same tooth of the date ring for the nextsequential rotation of the cam.

10. A horological instrument as in claim 9, wherein the teeth of thedate ring are equally spaced around its inner circumference.

11. A horological instrument as in claim 9, wherein the lever isjournaled on the frame plate by two pins fixed in the frame plate whichprotrude into bearing openings in the lever.

12. A horological instrument as in claim 9, wherein one of said wheelsis an hour wheel, a pin is fixed in said hour wheel, the pin protrudesinto a groove of said camfand said hour wheel pin drives said cam.

13. A horological instrument as in claim 9, wherein one of said wheelsis an hour wheel, a pin is fixed on said cam, the pin protrudes into agroove in said hour wheel, and said hour wheel drives said cam.

14. A horological instrument as in claim 9, wherein the spring acts upona locking lever, the locking lever is journaled on the frame plate, andthe locking lever has means to lock the teeth of the date ring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 54,198 4/1866 Owen 58-5 3,082,5943/1963 Stamm et a1. 58-58 FOREIGN PATENTS 296,400 3/ 1954 Switzerland.338,766 5/1959 Switzerland. 368,751 12/ 1962 Switzerland.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner. STEPHEN I. TOMSKY, Examiner.

M. LORCH, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A WATCH HAVING A FRAME PLATE, A CALENDAR MECHANISM COMPRISING:ROTATABLE FLAT DATE RING JOURNALED IN THE FRAME PLATE AND HAVINGCONSECUTIVE FIGURES 1-31 PRINTED ON ITS TOP FACE, A PLURALITY OF TEETHON ITS CIRCUMFERENCE, AND AT LEAST ONE PRINTED MARK TO INDICATE A.M. ORP.M. BETWEEN EACH OF THE SAID FIGURES; A ROTATABLE CAM ADAPTED TO BEDRIVEN BY THE WHEEL OF THE WATCH; A LEVER JOURNALED ON THE FRAME PLATEAND HAVING TWO TEETH TO ACT UPON EACH TOOTH OF THE DATE RING; A SPRINGPUSHING THE LEVER AGAINST THE CAM AND COMPRESSED BY ROTATION OF THE CAMAGAINST THE LEVER; WHEREIN THE SPRING ACTS UPON A LOCKING LEVER, THELOCKING LEVER IS JOURNALED ON THE FRAME PLATE, AND THE LOCKING LEVER HASA FIRST TOOTH HOLDING PORTION, A SECOND TOOTH HOLDING PORTION AND ATHIRD TOOTH HOLDING PORTION, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECONDPORTIONS BEING GREATER THAT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD,WHEREBY ALTERNATE ADVANCES OF THE DATE RING FOR THE SAME TIME PERIOD ARERELATIVELY LONG AND SHORT DISTANCES.